Cheese Sambusak
Yield About 30 Sambousek
Prep Time 45 minutes, plus dough resting time
Cook Time 40 to 45 minutes
I grew up having these around the house at all times, no exaggeration.
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup hot water
4 ounces (115g) feta cheese, broken into chunks
4 ounces (115g) low-moisture mozzarella, torn into rough pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 large eggs, divided
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
Special Equipment:
Food processor
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour the butter, oil, and water into the well. Stir the liquid gently, bringing in a little of the flour with each rotation. When the mixture becomes too stiff to stir, use your hands to knead it into a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Add the feta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and 2 of the eggs to the bowl of a food processor. Run the processor until the cheese filling is very well blended.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a work surface. Have both the dough and the cheese filling ready. Pull off a piece of dough that is about 1½ inch (4cm) around and press it into a small disk. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to a roughly 5-inch (12cm) circle; the dough will be very thin.
Place 2 teaspoons of cheese filling in the center of the round. Gently fold the dough in half, enclosing the cheese and press the edges of the dough together. Use a sharp knife to trim off the rough ends (reserve the trimmed scraps), making sure to leave a ¼-inch to ½ -inch [6 mm to 12mm] edge. Press the edge with the tines of a fork to seal and decorate it.
Place the package on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat to use all of the dough, rerolling the scraps, and the cheese filling.
Arrange the sambousek about ½ inch (12mm) apart on the baking sheets. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash. Brush the tops and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, if desired.
Bake until light golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool on the pan and serve warm. Sambousek are best eaten the day they are made. Leftovers can be stored in a tightly closed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.